Jefferson's Reserve Groth Reserve Cask Finish

Jefferson's Groth cask. A rare find indeed. Recognizing this, I bought this on sight. I don't live near that store and it was the last bottle. First and only bottle I've seen in recent years. So it's rare and all, but how does it taste? Is it worth the extremely high second-market prices? Let's find out. Batch No. 4 Nose: Some red fruit notes. Black currant. Cherry, cranberry, raspberry, plum, raisin, fig, date. Some peach as well. Some caramel, vanilla, toffee, graham cracker, and brown sugar as well. Oak. Now those are some fine notes. Problem is, they are barely detectable. I had to strain to get any of that. I cracked open last night's bottle of Stranahan's to test my olfactory senses. Conclusion? It's this whiskey, not my nose. Update: What a difference 3 months of oxidation makes. The nose is vibrant; in fact, it's the boldest part of this whiskey. I docked heavily for it's meekness the first time around, but now I'm very impressed. Palate: Cantalope, tangerine, peach, apricot, cherry, plum, red grape, cranberry, raspberry, plum, raisin, date, and fig. Nice mix of orange and red fruits. And there's no mistaking any of it on the taste. Bold and delicious. Maple and molasses, caramel and milk chocolate, toffee and brown sugar. Plenty of oak. Ginger spice. In previous tastings, I got a strange note that I can only describe as newspaper. In previous tastings, this was dominant and off-putting. Several months later, this has receded to the background, and where it serves as a nice element of texture. On the whole, spectacular palate. Finish: (Mostly dry) Red fruit. Plum, cranberry, raspberry, raisin, date, fig. True throughout. Then, the spices finally present themselves. Cinnamon, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, clove, ginger, and oak. Dry, sweet, and spicy as hell. Surprisingly, it's moderate, bordering on long in length despite the relatively low ABV. Weird one to score. I wrote up a healthy list of notes for the nose. I could've just as easily left that part blank. It was mild to say the least, which is no good in my book. From there out, however, this is absolutely stellar. So much flavor and delicious fruit. The Groth cask made a palpable impact (on the palate and finish.) It's so damn expensive wine. Is its status warranted? Couldn't tell ya. I know next to nothing about wine. But I can say that this bourbon is worth its salt. Because of the subpar nose, I can't go above 4 stars for this one. As far the rest? Sensational. With almost a half year under its belt, this has become one of the better tasting bourbons I've had in a while. Very impressed with Jefferson's continued ingenuity--though I guess this one dates a few years back. Speaking of which, is this worth the second-hand markup? Not unless you absolutely have to have them all. I think $200 is much too much. The $84 I paid for it? Definitely. This is very unique and damn tasty. Disregarding the lackluster nose, this would've been a 5-star whiskey. Update: Bumped up half a star because the nose improved drastically. Update again: 4.75. Two and a half years later, it’s improved even further.

The train taking me on the Scotch Distillery Tour is making a stop in Kentucky. It's possible due to some quantum mechanics coupled with a flux capacitor, very scientific and I won't bore you with the details. Anyways, this Kentucky straight bourbon is aged 6 years in new America oak and then finished for 9 months in French oak barrels that were used to age Cabernet Sauvignon from the Groth Vineyards in Napa Valley, California. It is 45.1% ABV and as all Kentucky straight bourbons are, it is natural color of what I would call deep copper amber. I don't know if it is chill filtered or not. This one is from batch #6. Very mint forward initially on the nose, which surprised me. The fruity wine notes take over quickly. Very similar to a port wine finished whisky but with some differences. Oak, vanilla, toffee, caramel and butterscotch make themselves known once the strong wine notes start to subside. There is a corn sweetness typical of most bourbons and then a definite bubblegum note pops in. Brown sugar, cinnamon and clove after it sits in the glass for a while and then some similar spices like mulling spices. I have a small jar of mulling spices so I took a quick sniff, it's similar but not as intense. There is something else as well. Something very nice that I just can't seem to identify. A complex nosing whiskey. Mint forward again on the palate. A good strong vanilla note follows the mint. Fruity wine notes and mild oak. There is a rye-like spice to it. I'm not sure if there is rye in the mashbill but that's what it reminds me of. Fairly light mouthfeel that is semi dry, but mouthwatering at the same time. Medium long finish that is fruity sweet like blackberries/raspberries with some oak. I have to say I was very surprised at how good this bourbon is. This is my first from Jeffersons but it won't be the last. Sweeter and smoother with much more complexity than I expected. I am really loving these wine finished spirits. I believe this bottle went for around $90, which is high for a bourbon, but a decent price for a good scotch so I would not hesitate to buy a full bottle. One of the only criticisms I have is that I feel bottling at 48% vs 45.1% would have pushed it over the top. Thanks to Lee for the sample. 4.25. Cheers

As the end of the work week closes, I look forward to sitting back and tasting one of many samples (and then some). I decide to deviate a bit from the Scots and go American. I sit back and pour myself the Groth while catching up on ‘Billions’ and ‘Homeland’. This American pour was not what I expected at all. A pour and a nose exposes sweet, dark fruit; port-like wine notes. But this fruity juice also has a inviting, balanced spicy side of rye and cinnamon. As it opens, the wine notes tend to dominate but the spicy notes remain and that rye-ness becomes more of an allspice. The bourbon traits of vanilla and brown sugar also rise up and this dram becomes a lovely potpourri. The first sip is initially spicy-hot blast from the nice higher proof. The medium viscosity liquid, upon the initial sips, reveal the Cabernet finishing as the grape notes are slowly drawn out as well as wine-grape tannins. So far, this sounds like a wine review, however, this is definitely a whiskey. Those wine notes blend and intermingle with bourbon flavors: corn, vanilla, rye, brown sugar. The blending creates a mulled-wine effect. As all this intermingling and dance of flavors begins to wind down, the fruity wine notes remain on the palate, along with wood/oak and vanilla, however, unfortunately and surprisingly, brief. I was actually impressed by this whiskey as this was something rather unique. The wine casks actually provide a pleasant twist to a bourbon. The darker wine provides a counterbalance to the sweet and spicy flavors. A versatile whiskey that can pair well as an aperitif, a main meal or with dessert. The only negative is not of flavor, but as accessibility, in terms of price. The whiskey sells for upwards of $86 and that places it in the upper range of cost and will price many out. However, this is worth seeking out in a bar or restaurant, if not to own. Thanks Lee! [Dry Glass: Grape juice and butterscotch][89/100][Tasted: 3/10/17]

This was my contribution to the small bourbon tasting last night. I've had quite a few Jefferson's Reserve bourbons and I've found them all quite enjoyable. I purchased this bottle in an effort to help my "bourbon buddy" complete the current Jefferson's lineup. I thought this would be the most interesting simply because wine finished scotch has become very appealing to me, recently. This bottle comes in at 90.2 proof and contains 6 Year Old juice that was finished for 9 months in French oak casks that previously held Groth Cabernet Sauvignon wine. Right away there was a blast of dark berries and grapes on the nose. It hits you immediately upon popping the cork. The vanilla and oak take up a bit of a muted position and only really get noticed about mid-sip. There's a decent rye presence throughout the entire sip but it doesn't interfere or overpower the wine flavors, and actually helps hide the expected dryness. It has a lengthy finish that's actually pretty enjoyable as all the flavors hang around asking for attention before slowly fading away. I'm glad I bought this bottle, since after the tasting, the rest came back home with me. I think I'm going to really enjoy sipping through this one for awhile. I believe the price point was a bit high ($70), but most Jefferson's are a bit on the pricier so this was expected and wasn't too bad, either. Overall, quite tasty and another nice addition to my rye and bourbon review catalog. Cheers.

Jefferson's Reserve Groth Reserve Cask Finish Very Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Jefferson's Reserve PH Cab Cask) 2017 Release / 2022 Release A rich limited release, extra-matured in ex-Cabernet Sauvignon barrels from Groth Vineyards for 9 months. It has an aromatic birth with notes of peach, blackberry, caramel corn & toffee; while a bold & complex life with notes of burnt oak, red wine, cinnamon, spice, dark and dried fruits; that leads to a a long & dry death of anise, sweet tobacco, cornbread & baked apples. February / March / May 2017 / August 2022

Nose is rich, sweet fruits abound and a surprising alcohol sting. Very smooth, wood notes on the palate. Full mouthfeel. Finish is short. Some slight bitter notes appear later. Easy sipper. 3/31/17. TWCP store pick. This is bright, but still with the heavy cab notes. Tannic at the end. 10/27/17 Broudy's store pick. Rich fruit, but it's not heavy, this is very bright and has a pleasant caramel, vanilla, and honey tone to it. This is accessible to newbies but also has enough there for veterans. Crowd pleaser. 1/20/18